Page 1 of Bittersweet Revenge
PROLOGUE
Dean
Four years old
I’m half asleepwhen I’m jerked out of bed, making my heart jump.
“Riordan. Be quiet. Come with Mommy. Hurry.”
Are we playing a game? Mommy has never woken me in the middle of the night before, and definitely not to play. I usually get in trouble if I get out of bed when I’m supposed to be in bed.
I wrap my arms around her neck, too tired to focus, too tired to do anything other than snuggle into her and try to sleep.
“Get down here, Audrey. Quick!” Daddy’s voice sounds funny, tense. Like he has to get the words out super fast.
My heart beats harder, fear beginning to clear the fog in my head. “Mommy?”
She puts her hand on the back of my head, lifting me higher against her. I wrap my legs around her waist. “Shh. It’s fine.” She kisses my forehead. “Everything is going to be fine.” She hurries down the stairs, then into the living room.
“Come on.” Daddy pulls us toward the hidden door in the bookcase. He always says it’s a secret. We’re not allowed to tell anyone about it, not even family. Just me, Mommy, and Daddy. He says it’s to keep us safe, but why would he need to keep us safe from the people we love?
“Daddy?” I ask, pulling my face out of Mommy’s neck. She smells like strawberries, the scent fading when I’m not as close.
“It’s okay, big guy. I need you to do me a favor. I need you to be real quiet and not say a word. Can you do that for me?”
I nod, my floppy blond hair in my eyes. It’s the same color as Mommy’s, not dark like Daddy’s.
“That’s my big boy. I also need you to do one more thing for me…I need you to take care of your mom for me. You always protect her, and you always take care of her. That’s your most important job.”
I smile. I love it when he gives me something to do. I know he’s super important, and it makes me feel important too. “I’ll do it! I’ll take care of her!” I say excitedly, but then ask, “Where will you be?” Is he going on a trip? To work with Uncle Sloan? He’s not really my uncle, but Daddy says we’re a family. We’re all family. Part of the O’Sheas.
“Right here,” he says, his smile not looking like it normally does. “I’ll always be with you.”
“Liam.” Mommy’s voice cracks on his name, her body shaking, which makes mine shake too.
“I’ll be fine. Everything will be fine. Just a precaution, all right?”
She nods, just as we hear the sound of a car door closing outside. “Fuck.” Daddy kisses me, then her. “I love you both. So much. I’ll always love you. You’re the most important thing in this world to me.” He looks at me, his eyes wet. Is he crying? I didn’t know dads could cry. I’ve never seen mine do it before. “I’m prouder of you than anything I’ve ever done. Now go.”
Mommy runs to the bookshelf and clicks the button so the door opens. Quickly, we rush inside, both of us watching Daddy, like something really bad is happening.
A second later, we’re surrounded by darkness.
“Mommy?”
“Shh. You can’t talk. Let’s play a game. If you can be really, really quiet until Mommy says you can speak again, we’ll get ice cream and video games.”
I smile. “Vanilla.”
She kisses my cheek. “Yes, sweet boy.”
Vanilla is my favorite.
We sit down, and she pulls me close, her arm around me.
“Why are we in here?” I ask.
“We’re playing a game, remember?”
